Symantec Introduces ‘Safe Cloud’

In the recently staged Cloud Expo in Santa Clara, California, Symantec presented its “safe cloud” vision for cloud computing. According to Symantec, a “safe cloud” is different kinds of interconnected cloud with various architectures and used with various devices to connect to the cloud. Although the presentation didn’t include any surprising predictions, Symantec included opportunities for cloud hosting service providers. According to Dave Elliot, Symantec Senior Product Marketing Manager for Global Cloud Marketing, it is through these hosting providers that Symantec’s trust and SSL certificate solutions are being distributed.

The “safe cloud”, which Symantec says will constitute the cloud landscape starting 2013, will be an environment wherein consumers will be able to interact with a lot of clouds, which include public and private clouds. It says there’ll be seamless integration of application functions across the cloud environment and such functions will be deployed to various devices. Although Symantec’s vision is not something unexpected by a lot of cloud enthusiasts, the company believes it can play an important role in making “safe cloud” a reality. It says that security must be built-in with a modern cloud and mustn’t be a hindrance to cloud adoption. According to Elliot, the company will be creating tools to help everyone attain a “safe cloud” environment.

Symantec is poised to offer security solutions to firms which has its own internal infrastructures, as well as to builders and consumers. The cloud builders are those cloud hosting service providers which are already or are currently getting into cloud computing. Symantec’s security tools will protect the underlying infrastructure, people, information, and policies.

Because of this “safe cloud” vision, Symantec will be introducing some new security applications for the clouds. The Symantec O3 will allow businesses to provide its employees one sign-on from various devices and use different cloud applications like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Office 365, SalesForce, Google Apps, and the likes. It has an added security level wherein an admin can manipulate compliance and security measures. The Symantec File Share Encryption, on the other hand, provides security to file sharing services like DropBox. The application will reduce the organization’s data security concerns when their employees use cloud data storage services.

Symantec will be tapping the hosting service providers as its distributors of its products and services. According to Elliot, the sell-through or sell-with model is something new for the company. Thus, it is willing to partner with these hosting providers who would like to differentiate their business from their competitors. The hosting providers can have access to Symantec’s tools for secure cloud infrastructure and have an opportunity to earn more by selling Symantec’s cloud security products.